On March 22, 2023 in Brasilia, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva hosted a meeting with Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide. The two ministers met to discuss and reaffirm the bilateral climate and forest partnership, marking its 15-year anniversary.
Photo: Ministerio do Meio Ambiente do Brasil (MMA)
Global leadership
In 2008, Brazil launched the Amazon Fund, while Norway launched its International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Through the 2008 bilateral MoU Norway supported the Amazon Fund, which became the model for several other bilateral partnerships to follow. In the following years, Brazil continued to achieve a remarkable reduction in the deforestation in the Amazon and delivered one of the largest climate mitigation results the world has seen to date.
Minister Marina Silva highlighted that Brazil will keep on strengthening this key partnership with Norway on climate and forest to achieve ambitious results in tackling the global climate crisis, ending deforestation and promoting sustainable development. The minister also reiterated her intention to strengthen its long-term cooperation with Norway and to foster the Amazon Fund as a robust, transparent payment-for-results mechanism, with solid governance and technical-scientific rigor.
Minister Espen Barth Eide highlighted that the commitment of Marina Silva and the new Brazilian government to protect the Amazon rainforest is beyond doubt. Moreover, he signaled that Brazil has shown global leadership in the past and is doing that again now. He also emphasized that the international community should spare no effort to mobilize all available tools and finance to partner with the Brazilian government, and that Norway is deeply committed to remaining a close long-term partner of Brazil.
The ministers agreed on the importance of a swift operationalization of the funds available in the Amazon Fund to support critical needs identified by Brazil to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable and inclusive development in the Amazon region. Norway committed to support Brazil’s efforts to mobilize additional resources to the Amazon Fund.
Need for further finance and investments
The ministers also agreed that increased cooperation, public and private finance, and investments are needed from a wide range of sources to support Brazil’s ambition. In this context, both authorities committed to exchange views on how best to seize opportunities emerging from different approaches, including results-based payments and jurisdictional carbon markets.
Both officials welcomed the outcomes and recommendations of the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Amazon Fund (COFA) in 2023, as well as the priorities and strategies established, including urgent support for indigenous populations and the fight against illegal activities.
The ministers also agreed that increased cooperation and investments are needed from a wide range of sources to support Brazil’s ambitious forest and climate action, including public and private finance.
During the meeting, Marina Silva stressed Brazil’s strong commitment to prevent and combat deforestation, to promote the bioeconomy, to foster sustainable rural production and forestry, to protect indigenous and other traditional peoples and communities, while bolstering socio-economic development in the country.
During the meeting, Espen Barth Eide also highlighted Brazil’s ambition to strengthen the Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon (PPCDAm) and to prepare similar plans for the other biomes in the country.
Beyond its contributions to the Amazon Fund, Norway affirmed the intention to continue to collaborate with Brazil and to invest in actions aimed at supporting the fulfilment of Brazilian priorities, including its efforts to halt deforestation, tackle forest degradation, and restore forests and other ecosystems.